There is nothing easy about the Greek language. Nothing. And it's not one of those languages you can fudge your way through after reading a phrase book the night before your arrival. I didn't even get the chance to butcher the language once we arrived. All the letters looked like a big, fat, scary physics equation that I was never going to solve no matter how long I stared. Spelling out the alphabet for me (as shown below) didn't help because how does one combine their letters and form a word that can actually be said? My dear friends last name is Diamantakis...pronounced in English, it's said exactly as its spelled. According to the Greek alphabet and with my complete ignorance as to their language, their last name would be: Delta-iota-alpha-mu-alpha-nu-tau-alpha-kappa-iota-sigma.
CLEARLY I'm doing something wrong.
Since Matthew has no more vacation days left this year and the girls had a week off of school, I decided to brave the world of traveling abroad alone with them. Let's just say it's a lonely world. Why? Because everyone else knows better! My friend Amanda and I have a pretty solid theory and it is: there should be rules to traveling alone with children. It must be a necessity and the reasons dire in nature. Furthermore, you must print your travel purpose on a T-shirt so all others don't have to wonder why you're torturing them. The T's would read something like this...
MERCY MISSION: DYING GREAT GRANDMOTHER
I WAS SUBPOENAED!
SEEKING LIFE-SAVING MEDICAL TREATMENT
FLEEING WIFE BEATING HUSBAND
My reasons weren't dire in nature but in my defense, I had promised our very close friends we would see them before the year was out. So off we went without our explanatory T-shirt, throwing caution to the wind and common sense out the window. For those that are curious....my T-shirt would have said:
IM EΦΦINΓ MAΔ!!
Waiting for our plane to Athens in Frankfurt, Germany. Nothing like being inGermany and having McDonald's for lunch!
Waiting for our luggage to arrive in Athens from London. To be perfectly honest with you...the traveling wasn't terrible and my kids weren't 'those kids' you've all been stuck near at one time or another. They were really really good. The fact that I drugged Sloane could have been part of the reason but I'd like to think it was my stellar solo parenting skills.
Our friends, Carolina and Tassos, were waiting for us right when we arrived and from there the week ahead looked to be like a nice relaxation vacation. And it was...after the first night.
Let's just say that the trip didn't start off too well. We began our tour of Athens with a trip to the the A&E (emergency room) in a miserable deluge of rain. If you thought it was because of one of the girls you'd be wrong...it was me. Ear infection. Bad one. Carolina brought me to one of the best hospitals in Athens and upon our arrival we both thought we made a wrong turn and ended up on the set of a cheap horror film. The entire hospital was dark and empty. There was one desk with a few people at it and they looked at us like we were lost. Thank heavens Carolina was there as my friend but more importantly my interpreter!! We were escorted, by what I'm sure was an ex-con, to the elevator which promptly took us to the basement. Three floors below ground. The hallways were pitch black and there was one tiny light at the very end of a lengthy, winding hallway. In that room, the size of a closet, sat a man in a white coat. I suppose he was a doctor although I'm not entirely convinced of that.
I've had ear infections before and I know what they feel like and I knew this is what I had. I also know that in the states you'd go in, get drops for your ears and some antibiotics and you'd be fine the next day. It wasn't going to be that easy in Greece. The doctor's English was so poor that he was trying to explain that I would, in his exact words, "suffer". And that he would like to take me into the theater (surgery) to put a hole into my ear drum since it was like, again his exact words, "a kissy face sucking". ?!?!? I don't know what that means either. Or even better..."ear drums are changing like snakes". I wanted to run away but I wasn't sure we'd figure out how to escape on our own.
There were medical instruments all over the room with no sterilizer in sight...he never wore gloves...and why he needed to put a tuning fork on my forehead I'll never quite understand. Ah...and the prescriptions. The hospitals don't provide you with medicine after hours...you have to find a 24-hour pharmacy! The only way to do that is to find a pharmacy, look on their window for the closest 24-hour pharmacy and pray to God that the guy behind the counter answers the door when you ring the bell. It's nights like those that I am so thankful for the United States and our incredible medical community.
But enough of the nightmare first night. The week was wonderful and we had a great time. The girls immersed themselves in whatever we were doing from going through the Olympic Village, Starbucks, the shopping district, the park, the Zoo and finally to the Acropolis and the Plaka. We even walked the grounds of the exiled King of Greece. King Constantine II. Cool little fact about this not-so-popular King is that he now lives in our postcode, NW3. He has a house somewhere in Hampstead, London.
Outside the Zoo. Right as we entered we were met by one of the zookeepers that was holding a 2 month old monkey named Loola. She had fingers the size of eyelashes and a tail as long as Sloane is tall. She was adorable! 
We were in the monkey enclosure where the lemurs were free to roam...they couldeven come up to you if you wanted to get close enough. Boy could these guys jump!
Outside the reptile enclosure. We got very up close and personal to a crocodile!
Our friends Carolina and Tassos teaching Avery the Greek alphabet and how to write different words in Greek. By the time the week was over, Carolina said that Avery sounded like a little Greek girl...she had picked up the vernacular perfectly.
This is the Olympic stadium where the torch was lit and stayed burning for the 2004 Olympic Games. 
Right before we hit the ground running to the Acropolis.
Two seconds after leaving the Acropolis...
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